1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a die. More particularly, the present invention relates to a die for use with a croupier type gaming table.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for game related devises have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,392 to Tammen teaches a game of chance that includes a game board with a plurality of sections thereon. The sections are labeled with various indicia, or combinations thereof, and odds pertaining thereto. A chance indicator device for simultaneously selecting one such indicia and a game command. The device includes two sections rotatably joined together, wherein one section is friction fit about a shaft so that it cannot rotate relative thereto, and the other section is rotatably mounted to the shaft. Both sections are identically shaped so that they may be interchangeably mounted on the shaft either by themselves or in combination, one section containing indicia on its faces and the other section containing game commands on its faces. The device is spun on the game board so as to select the indicia and/or game commands.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,900 to Lamlee teaches a game which may be played by two or more persons includes a playing board and a pair of dice. The board comprises three concentric play areas, the outer two of which are divided into arcuate sections. The central play area designates a type of dice which is to be used with the particular game board. The various play areas are provided with indicia to indicate an appropriate payoff rate to be associated with that area. A number of variations of the game board are possible, each of which is to be played with particular shaped dice.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,306 to Sanders teaches a set of five game dice, which enables a player to obtain scoring combinations, in a variant of the game of Yacht, which correspond to flushes and straight flushes in the card game of poker. Each die is eight-sided, and carries a unique combination of numerical attribute markings and suit attribute markings, selected from a range of eight numerical values and five suits.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,975 to Caughie et al. teaches a football type game board utilizing specially designed, dice-like casting solids to represent the various plays used in the game of football. Each solid has a plurality of sides with markings denoting a particular outcome to that play. The number of sides and their markings are chosen to reflect real football game statistics. Also provided is a penalty card system organized into four categories, to produce a realistic penalty for particular types of plays, and a first down marker system with a down indicator sleeve.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,697 to Vickers teaches a game apparatus "Ambush the Double Dealing Western Game of Skill and Risk." The game has a game board having a continuous path around its perimeter divided into consecutive spaces, having alternate paths, and bearing instructions representing amounts to be paid or received during the game. Each of the spaces define a playing position. There is also provided a plurality of playing pieces one for each player in the forms of a bullet, a stagecoach, a saddle and a wagon. Also provided is play money of different denominations for partial distribution to each player, and playing cards bearing instructions. A novel chance determining device is provided to represent the number of playing positions to be moved by the playing pieces and a card area encased by vertical walls for storing the used and unused playing cards.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,778 to Willis et al. teaches a game that has a board showing a voting area marked House of Representatives, a voting area marked Senate, a vice-president's voting booth located inside the Senate, and a president's voting booth located between and separate from the House of Representatives and the Senate. Inside both the House of Representatives and the Senate voting areas are eight industry voting booths where players (representing industries) try to accumulate more and more voting chips. An area numbered 2 thru 12 on the game board specifies what is done when each player's turn comes and two regular dice are rolled as a means of chance. Election cards allow players to win voting chips in the House of Representatives, the Senate, the vice-presidency, and the presidency. Politics cards give players a variety of political advantages. Legislation cards target different game industries (players) for potential financial gains or losses, dependent upon votes taken in Congress. A changeable colored die determines which players win election votes and which industries (players) are targeted for financial gains or losses. Players begin the game with a designated sum of game money and try to remain financially solvent. Bankrupt players are eliminated from the game.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,154 to Miller teaches a new and useful game apparatus for combining chance play with mathematical operation. The apparatus comprises a game board having a playing surface laid out with a sequence of numbered playing spaces, a set of markers for use in marking positions within the sequence of playing spaces, and at least two dice each marked on the sides thereof with a series of numbers. The numbers in the group of series on the dice form a number set. Each series in the number set is chosen such that the first number in the first series is zero or one. If the first number in the first series is zero, then one number in each other series may be zero and otherwise no two numbers are the same within the set and each number in each series subsequent to the first series is larger than any number in any preceding series. If the first number in the first series is one, then one number in each other series may be zero, one number of the second series may be the same as the highest number of the first series, and otherwise no two numbers are the same within the set and each number in each series subsequent to the first series is larger than any number in any preceding series.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,819 to Walker teaches a board game incorporating various gambling methods. A player uses either a card game similar to blackjack or a slot machine to determine the number of spaces to be moved along a segmented path, the particular game being selected by the instructions contained in the segment on which the player landed on the prior move. Each segment also contains further instructions, some of those instructions designating a further gambling apparatus and giving odds. These further apparatuses are a roulette fame or a dice game, and the player landing on that segment may gamble at these games at the designated odds. Other players can join in the gambling when the roulette game and the dice game are played. The objective of the game is for a player to avoid penalties designated on the game board, acquire a majority of the playing chips until either all of the other players become "busted" or the casino bank becomes "busted".
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,062 to Gillette teaches a housing that contains a plurality of tetrahedron shaped dice. The faces of the dice bear one or more indicia. The housing includes a tumbling compartment in which all of the dice are shaken and a smaller plurality of pyramidal shaped cavities in which certain of the dice are then disposed for viewing. At least a portion of one face of each die is visible through the wall of the housing in one embodiment, while at least a portion of two faces of each die is visible in another embodiment.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,874 to Freitas teaches a set of lottery game dice to aid in selecting six numbers between "one" and "forty-nine" to "fifty-three" that are regular decahedron shaped. The total of the numbers displayed on the six dice are obtained by using some dice having eight surfaces displaying numbers and some displaying nine numbers. The dice are formed by providing one or two of the ten surfaces with an extending convex numbered surface to prevent the die from settling on that surface, thus eliminating one or two available surfaces for display.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,875 to Capy et al. teaches die containing eight planar hexagonal surfaces and six convex portions capable of producing random results when thrown. The convex faces are dimensioned so as to constitute areas of unstable equilibrium to favor positioning of the die on one of the hexagonal surfaces when so thrown. The die can be marked with card values and suits associated with a deck of playing cards whereby a set containing the marked dice can be utilized to play poker card games. Moreover, the card values and suits can be positioned on the dice so that marking of the dice can be performed in a two pass printing process.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,708 to Gathman et al. teaches 12-sided and 20-sided dice which have a suit symbol and a value symbol on each surface representing one of the various playing cards in a standard 52 card playing deck. The 12-sided die will carry 3 different value symbols for each of the 4 suits and, accordingly, will depict 12 different cards, one on each of its surfaces which are identically shaped pentagons. A game is disclosed which employ three or more of such dice, all identical. In another embodiment a 20-sided die is provided which carries 5 values of each of the four suits. In all embodiments, parallel, opposing surfaces will bear the same value symbol and no two surfaces adjoined together along a common edge will bear the same suit symbol. This symmetrical arrangement provides for integrity of chance in re-rolling the dice and complete randomness of chance.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,666 to Chen et al. teaches a game device comprising mainly a geometric body having at least two flat external faces, each of the flat external faces is provided with at least one indicating piece, each of the indicating piece is provided with at least one indicating face, each of the indicating faces is provided with at least one indicium.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, German Patent No. DE3152-034-A to Ernst teaches a teaching aid used to pose random questions, particularly, but not exclusively during musical instruction, e.g. to identify notes or intervals or chords of a tone scale and point them out on a keyboard, or note values, key signatures, tempi, other symbols etc. It consists of a multi-faceted regular solid with parallel opposite faces, such as an octahedron, or a dodecahedron with pentagonal faces, the symbols being shown on the respective faces. The solid is thrown as a die after which the uppermost symbol is to be identified.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, European Patent No. EP-277-658-A to Heinz teaches a die having more than six faces. It is pre-formed from a basic sphere with four flat faces formed on each hemisphere giving a total of eight faces, with each face bearing is different number or symbol. Alternatively, the die may be in the form of an octahedron, with each face forming an isosceles triangle. A third Possibility is a pentagonal dodecahedron with a circular depression in one of the faces.
FINALLY, YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, Great Britain Patent No. 2,202,159,A to Houlgate teaches an octahedron for use in playing a game that comprises a cut and scored rigid sheet which may be erected to form an octahedron having triangular plan facets. A line of separation is provided extending between two opposed corners whereby force applied between said corners causes the octahedron to collapse to a flat form. An elastic member is provided internally connecting opposed parts each side of the line of separation, said elastic member acting to tend to erect the octahedron.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for game related devices have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.